Curtain stretcher construction



K. J. UNWIN CURTAIN STRETCHER CONSTRUCTION Sept. 30, 1952 Filed May 21, 1949 1N VEN TOR.

' member in such a Patented Sept. 30, 1952 2,611,993 CURTAIN STRETCHER CONSTRUCTION Kenneth J. Unwin,

mesne assignments, to

Kenosha, Wis.. assignor, by

Quaker Stretcher Comparry, Kenosha, Wis., a corporation of Wis Application May 21, 1949, Serial No. 94,675

(ill. 45-24) 9 Claims. 1

The present invention relates to new and useful improvements in stretcher frames for curtains and other materials, and more particularly to the manner of securing fabric impaling pins to the frame or molding members and to improvements in the configuration of the frame or molding members.

It has been common practice heretofore to make molding or frame members of wood and to space a plurality of impaling pins along the inner margin of such members. The mounting of impaling pins in wooden frame members is a comparatively simple operation as a portion of each pin may be readily driven into the member.

It is, however, considerably more difficult to mount impaling pins in a metal frame member. If they are merely fitted into holes in the frame member the holes will tend to enlarge and the pins will become loose. In my pending application, Serial No. 774,940, I have proposed mounting impaling pins in a non-metallic insert secured to the metal frame members.

In the latter type of frame as well as in wooden frame members the firmness with which the pins are held depends upon the properties of the wood or non-metallic substance in which the pins are embedded. Inasmuch as the wood or non-metallic substance is considerably softer than the pins, the pins often become loose through constant use. Furthermorathe wooden frame members are particularly susceptible to distortion by atmospheric and climatic conditions and tend to shrink or expand, thus loosening the grip with which the impaling pins are held.

In my pending application, Serial No.'14,327, now Patent No. 2,559,573, I have disclosed a means for mounting impaling pins directly in a metal frame member. I have found it extremely important in the mounting of pins in metallic frames to insure uniform gripping of the pins over a significant portion of their lengths and not simply gripping along a small portion of the pin with other portions of it being held loosely if at all. The current invention thus presents a means for mounting the impaling pins in a metal frame manner that the embedded portion is firmly and uniformly gripped and in the latter respect this invention constitutes an improvement over my last identified pending application.

It is accordingly an important object of the present invention to provide a curtain stretcher frame or molding member formed of a non-corrosive metal, such frame member having an integrally formed mounting groove or recess to securely and uniformly grip a plurality of impaling pins over a considerable portion of their lengths.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide a curtain stretcher frame of the type previously described which is made of a deformable metal or other foldable sheet material and which is provided with a resilient mounting channel or recess for accepting an impaling pin.

It is a still further object of the present invention to provide a curtain stretcher frame of aluminum or other non-corrosive metal or foldable sheet material and which by reason of its design may be relatively simply and inexpensively manufactured and which provides a strong and durable frame member.

The foregoing and other objects and advantages of the invention will be readily understood by a perusal of the following description with reference to the accompanying drawings where- Fig. 1 is a fragmentary plan view showing one corner of a stretcher frame with an upright vertical frame member and an upper horizontal frame member in position; I

Fig. 2 is an enlarged perspective view of a portion of one of the frame members shown in Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is an enlarged perspective fragmentary sectional view taken along the line 3-3 in Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 is an enlarged sectional view of a frame member taken along the line 1-4 in Fig. 1;

Fig. 5 is a vertical sectional view showing another embodiment of the frame member with the impaling pin secured in a slightly different manner; and

Fig. 6 is a vertical sectional view showing a modification of the invention.

Referring in greater detail to the drawings, it will be seen that the frame member generally designated by the numeral It consists of a formed body portion which includes two front face or wall portions [2 and I3 and a rear face or wall portion i l constituting a flange on a vertical wall portion to. The front face is formed to provide a channel or recess l8 which is adapted to receive impaling pins The recess is formed by folding the front wall upwardly to form a side wall 22 and downwardly to form another side wall 24. The pins 20 are inserted through holes at the top of the channel and are securely gripped by the side walls 22 and 24, which are spaced slightly less than the diameter of the impaling pins.

The channel or recess H! has a fiat top 26 so that a bend need not be madein line with the holes as this is the weakest portion and might break if bent. The lower portion of the side wall 24 is held in position by a ridge or channel 28 formed in the front face [3 and bearing against the side wall 24 whereby to prevent relative spreading or separation of the side walls 22 and 24. Besides spacing the walls 22 and 24 at a distance less than the diameter of the impaling pins 20, it is often desirable to further crimp the side walls 22 and 24 together after insertion of the pins by means of pliers or a pair of rollers to provide even greater impinging force of the side walls against the pins and to cause theside walls to more nearly surround the pins.

In Fig. 5 a modification of the frame member is shown. In this modification the ridge Or channel 28 is not used. Instead the side walls 24a and 22a are extended to form a flat portiontil with a flange 32 at its extremity bent upward into the body portion Illa oi the frame member to prevent spreading of the recess at the bottom and consequent loosening of the pins 26a. It is to be noted that in this particular configuration as well as in the others the top portion 26d between the side walls of the recess is a single piece of fiat metal and hence cannot spread.

A further modification of this invention is shown in Fig. 6 and is quite similar to the form shown in Figs. 1-4. The-frame member has front walls 12b and [3b and a recess I8b havin side walls 22b and- 2412, the lower portion of the latter being held in-position by a-ridge or channel 285 formed in the front face 131). The top 2611 is flat in order to obviate the necessity of bending the metal at that point, which is of course the weakest point. The impaling pins 20?) are placed through holes in the top 26b-and are gripped by the sid walls 22b and 241). After insertion of the pin the side walls 22b and 24b of the portion of the pin20b gripped therebetween are crimped or bent as by a clamping between dies Or rolling between suitably shaped rollers. The resulting complementary configuration of the side walls and pin positively precludes axial orrotative movement of the pin.

It" is desirable that the material of which the frame member is constructed should be softer than the impaling Pins. Such a combination might; well include an aluminum frame member with brass or steel pins although other combinations which might well include a body member of plastic or other fold'abl'e material are contemplated. The use of a pin which is harder than the frame material insures proper engagement of the pin with the material of the frame member upon insertion therein. Although it is desirable that the pin should be harder-than the frame member, it is possible to use pins which are softer than the frame member.

It will be apparent from the foregoing description that the present invention contemplates an improved stretcher frame of a practical design which is easy to manufacture and rugged in use. Th frame member consists of metal or other foldable sheet material which is formed into the desired shape with a channel or recess for mounting the impaling pins. The walls of this recess are joined at one end and are-secured at the other end so as to prevent relative lateral movement of the walls and loosening of the pins. In addition to the gripping action of the walls of the recess on the pins, the pins are held by the holes through which they are inserted at the top of the juncture of the side walls of the recess.

It is to be clearly understood thatalthough certain forms of a stretcher device havebeen shown and described for purposes of illustration, changes in construction and arrangement of parts may be made without departing from the spirit of the invention, and that the scope of th invention is determined by the following claims.

I claim:

1. A frame memberfor a. curtain stretcher or the like comprising a sheet metal body portion, an inverted U-shaped channe1 portion integral with and extending longitudinally along one margin of said body portion to provide a mounting groove, a plurality of spaced holes in the top of said channel portion for the insertion of impaling pins, and means securing the side walls of said channel portion against relative separation.

2. A frame member for a curtain stretcher or the like comprising a sheet metal body portion, an. inverted U-shaped channe1 portion integral with and extending longitudinally along one marsin of said body portion to provide a mounting groove, a plurality of impaling pins mounted in said channel, and a ridge portion formed in said body portion adjacent a side wall of said channel portion whereby to prevent said side wall from moving away from the other side wall of said channel portion.

3. A frame member for a curtain stretcher or the like comprising a. sheet metal body portion, a plurality of inverted U-shaped channel portions adjacent one another and extending longitudinally along one margin of said. body portion, one of said channel portions adapted to receive and grip aplurality of impaling. pins, a plurality of impaling pins mounted in. said first channel, and the other of said channels securing one side wall of said first; channel against moving away from the second side wall of said first channel.

4. A frame member for a curtain stretcher or the like comprising. a body portionof sheet material, an inverted U -shaped: channelportion integral with said body portion and arranged longitudinally thereof, the transverse portion of said U-shaped channel being substantially fiat and having apertures therein. a plurality of impaling. pins in said apertures and each having one end. gripped between side walls of said channel portion, and means preventing spreading of the bottom of said channel portion.

5. A frame member for a; curtain stretcher or the like comprising a body portion. of sheet metal, an inverted U-shaped channel portion integral with said body portion and arranged longitudinally thereof, a plurality of impaling pins each having one-end. gripped by the. side walls of said channel portion, said side walls: and the portion of the pin gripped thereby having complementary curved-shapes to. preclude axial orrotative motion of said. pins, and means preventing spreading of the. body of said channel portion.

6. A frame memberfor a curtain stretcher or the like comprising a body portion of sheet metal or like material, an inverted Ueshaped channel portion formed from said. body portion and arranged longitudinally thereof, a plurality of, impaling' pins mounted in said channel portion and gripped by the side walls of said channel portion, and means overlying the open endofthe U of said U-shaped channel portion to prevent separation of the side walls of said channel portion.

7. A frame member as. set forth; in claim 6 wherein: the 1 means overlying the: open end. of

the U to prevent separation of the side walls is integral with at least one of said walls.

8. A frame member for a curtain stretcher or the like comprising a body portion of sheet metal or like material, an inverted U-shaped channel portion formed from said body portion and arranged longitudinally thereof, a plurality of impaling pins mounted in said channel portion and gripped by the side walls of said channel portion, and clamping means overlying the open end of the U of said U-shaped channel portion and clamping said side walls toward one another to prevent separation thereof.

9. A frame member for a curtain stretcher or the like comprising a body portion of sheet metal or like material, a U-shaped channel portion formed from said body portion and arranged longitudinally thereof, a plurality of impaling pins mounted in said channel portion and gripped by the side walls of said channel por- 20 p 6 tion, and means overlying the open end of the U of said U-shaped channel portion to prevent separation of the side walls of said channel portion.

KENNETH J. UNWIN.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 929,181 Adler July 27, 1909 1,621,765 Bonswor Mar. 22, 1927 2,091,765 McKee Aug. 31, 1937 2,559,573 Unwin July 3, 1951 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 752,166 France July 10, 1933 

